Question
Why do youth run away?
Answer
Youth tend to run away for lots of reasons and one of the big ones is abuse, whether it is physical, emotional, or sexual. If there is a lot of family trouble or domestic violence, problems with school bullying or friends; a youth may feel desperate and decide their life is going to be better on the street than in the home with their family.
Regarding sexual abuse among youth runaways, HHS reports that 21% to 40% of homeless youth have been sexually abused compared to 1% to 3% of the general youth population.
Research also tells us that about 80% of homeless youth age 12 to 21 use drugs or alcohol as a means to self-medicate, because they are trying to cope with the traumatic experiences that they face. 40% of this population of homeless teens identify as LGBT+, and for many of them, family rejection is the reason why they are on the street. So, they did not choose to leave their home or run away. They were forced to leave or locked out of the house. Over 50% of LGBT+ youth in shelters and on the streets report that their parents told them to leave.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the webinar, Youth Experiencing Homelessness and Human Trafficking: Use of Motivational Interviewing as a Technique for Engagement, presented by Cheryl Pooler, DSW, LCSW
